History Makers Radio

The Advice is a Christian Band from the USA. Their name came from Exodus 18:18 where Jethro gave advice to Moses to bring in help to judge the people. Matt Prater caught up with the Band to find out a bit of their story and the heart behind their music. Listen in!

Des Kennedy describes himself as a 'Prodigal Son', growing up in a loving Christian environment, but rejecting that life to find his own way in life. Some would call his life successful, however, Des looks back with regret on wasted years, on being a failed dad, and husband, and on finding faith in Jesus, how his life has turned around and is now focussed on serving others, particularly men. Des is the host of Momentum, a radio show and podcast aimed at helping men grow to be the men of God they were created to be. Listen in to his story!

Dr Patricia Weerakoon is an Australian Christian sexologist who was born in a Tamil Christian family in Sri Lanka, and grew up on a tea plantation. She is married to Vasantha and they have a son, Kamal, who is a Presbyterian minister. Patricia is a Sexologist, sex educator and writer and was trained in medicine at the University of Sri Lanka and did her postgraduate study in sexology at the University of Hawaii. She retired in 2011 after a 22-year career as an academic at the University of Sydney and for the last 8 years of her time as an academic, she was the director of an internationally recognised postgraduate program in sexual health. Over the years in retirement Patricia followed her passion to educate people of all ages on good holistic sexual health by speaking and writing in the area from a Christ focused Biblical framework. Join Grace Buckman in this interview as we hear more about Patricia's childhood and growing up in a home of faith, her journey into the medical field and practicing as a Christian sexologist, and her years of writing and speaking events.

Cheryl Hauer has served with Bridges for Peace for over 20 years. She is an author and speaker with a great story to tell! Bridges for Peace is a Jerusalem-based, Bible-believing Christian organization supporting Israel and building relationships between Christians and Jews worldwide. Cheryl resides in Jerusalem with her husband Steven. Listen in to her story!

Steve Taylor is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, film maker, and actor. He had a successful solo career during the 1980s. In contrast to many Christian musical artists, his songs have often taken aim at Christian hypocrisy or "error" with the use of satirical, sardonic lyrics. In 1997, he founded the record label Squint Entertainment, which fueled the careers of artists such as Sixpence None the Richer and Burlap to Cashmere. He has produced and written for numerous musical acts, one of the most consistent being Newsboys. And Manwell Reyes was the lead singer for Group 1 Crew, an American Christian hip hop and R&B band. Matt caught up with them at Easterfest many years ago, and got to chat to them about their story!

In 2004 Michael Harvey began to develop Back to Church Sunday throughout the UK and eventually throughout the English speaking world. He has spoken to thousands of church leaders in his Seminars and has to date seen hundreds of thousands of Christians mobilised to invite, resulting in 1 million+ accepted invitations. He is author of the book Unlocking the Growth and Creating a Culture of Invitation in your Church. As an itinerant speaker he has a ministry across 18 countries and 5 continents. Listen in to his story!

Murray Noble is a Communication Specialist and Researcher for Open Doors Australia. With an international perspective of the global Church, and a heart for social justice, Murray has a passion for giving all people the opportunity to follow Christ, regardless of their location or situation. Listen in to his story

Lucian and Jaylene Tabacaru are Aussie Missionaries from Brisbane, Australia. Their family includes Lucian, Jaylyne and their three kids Isaac, Noah and Lavinia. Since 2019, the Tabacaru's have been blessed to call the beautiful island of Espiritu Santo in Northern Vanuatu their home away from home. As missionaries they serve entirely on a volunteer basis and depend on the kindness and generosity of others to help us make a difference. The Tabacaru family serves in many ministry segments including Teen Girl Ministry, Medical, Disaster Relief, Kids Sports Program - Rugby and a small support school program. Join Grace Buckman in this interview where we hear more about their upbringing, being called to and moving to Northern Vanuatu for missions, and the wonderful journey serving the Lord there over the past 5 years.

Paul Robinson is chief executive officer of Release International based in the UK, an inter-denominational Christian ministry working through local church partners in more than 25 countries, helping persecuted Christians prayerfully, pastorally and practically. Listen on to his story!

Joseph Rojas is the lead Singer of Christian Rock band "Seventh Day Slumber." He tried to commit suicide following a cocaine binge, and became a Christian while being taken to the hospital in an ambulance. He continues to share his testimony of hope and healing. The band remains dedicated to addressing issues like addiction, depression, and self-worth through their music, ministry, and live performances, inspiring fans from all walks of life.

Pastor Tim Dillmuth is the discipleship pastor for Voice of the Martyrs Korea (South) and has worked for the organisation for over ten years. He has worked closely with underground Christians from North Korea, China, Southeast Asia and Central Asia. He currently oversees VOM Korea's China and Russia work as well as the Communications department. Pastor Tim was born in the USA and he and his family reside in Seoul, Korea. Listen in to his story wherever you get your podcasts!

Jacqueline Donaldson is the former deputy mayor of Blacktown Council in NSW, Australia. In this interview she shares about her testimony and her heart for the gospel. She's even shared the gospel in the local Mosque! Listen in!

Paul Cohen was born in the Netherlands in 1963. After finishing High School he went to live in Israel and spent a brief period in a Yeshiva (Jewish Theological College) in Jerusalem. Paul met his wife Sue in Israel and later immigrated to Australia where Sue had grown up. Sue became a believer in Jesus in 1984 and was instrumental in Paul becoming a believer in February 1987. He has attended various Bible Schools and since 1992 Paul volunteered or worked for several prominent ministries to the Jewish people. He has a heart to see his people know the love and grace of their true Messiah and desire to share the Biblical stories from a Jewish perspective. Paul and Sue were the founders of Brit Chadashah (the Celebrate Messiah Congregation in Sydney) in 2013, which Paul led for 10 years, today known as Beit Shalom. Paul gives lectures in Biblical theology and Jewish studies at the Western Sydney Bible School, and gives online courses at the Messianic Training Centre. Grace Buckman Caught up with Paul to hear his story, listen in!

Shawn McDonald is a singer/songwriter based in the USA. His life has been marked by a string of heartaches, bad breaks, and personal mistakes, events that have landed him both in trouble with the law and in love with the Lord - in that order. The street-tough but tenderhearted McDonald has never shied away from telling his story - of growing up in Eugene, Oregon, as an angry, rebellious teen who was a drug addict and a dealer, looking for any and every way to escape his pain and a dysfunctional home. In 1998, at just 20 years old and at the end of his rope - and facing nine felony counts on a drug bust - McDonald cried out to God… and started turning his life around. He hasn't looked back since. Listen in to his story!

Qween V is a Hip-Hop Artist and an Evangelist with a powerful testimony! She has that fiery Islander zeal, and she loves to share her faith on the streets wherever she goes. Listen in to her story!

Dr Ross James is the founder of Health Communication Resources Inc., which has pioneered community-centred media ministries with faith-based organisations in Asia and Africa, and WA's Mid West. Ross is a story teller, a radio announcer, a journalist, a lecturer and a cross-cultural communications specialist. He's been involved in ministry in the Seychelles Islands, the Philippines, Pakistan and many other Asian locations. Listen in to his story!

Elohisa Ro'eh was born in Tuscany - Italy and has lived in Africa, India and the Middle East, but now calls Australia home. Inspired by music since the age of four she began her spiritual journey in her early 20's on a quest to find God. After journeying for 25 years in the New Age, everything changed when she had an encounter with Christ 8 years ago that completely transformed her life. She abandoned her old path and have been since devoted to having an intimate relationship with Jesus. Her passion for music is now being focused on worship but also bringing Prophetic messages from The Kingdom of God through music and song.

Adrian Penny is a Singer/Songwriter and Children's Entertainer from Coffs Harbour. He is part of the team at, "Love Out Loud," a not-for-profit charity, established to provide Christian video scripture lessons to children in Australian and New Zealand public schools, and beyond. He's also lead singer of "The Toads," a band that is well known for dressing up in crazy animal costumes and having way too much fun on stage! Grace Buckman caught up with Adrian recently, listen in!

Eunia Simbagoye goes by the title Princess Eunia, which reflects her commitment to serving God, embracing her identity as His daughter, and living a life devoted to Him. Originally from Burundi, now based in Brisbane, Australia, she has been an evangelist for a decade and an itinerant preacher since 2022, she has a large social media following, and impacts many people around the world. She is also a journalism student with a Bachelor of Business majoring in International Tourism and a Master of Divinity. Writing is her passion, and she is excited to complete her journalism course to broaden her influence. Her dreams include running her blog, contributing to Christian magazines, and starting a podcast to inspire fellow believers. Grace Buckman spoke with her recently, listen in to her story!

Daniel and Victoria Cunningham are leaders of a ministry called Deliverance Down Under. It's all about Capturing Intimate Jesus Testimonies, Deliverance and Evangelism. They are based in Brisbane, Australia and are members of New Heart Baptist Church. Grace Buckman caught up with them recently to hear more about how they got started in the ministry, what's on their heart for this generation and so much more!

Jonas Myrin is the Grammy®, Dove and Billboard award winning singer, songwriter and producer who wrote two original songs for the movie, "The Hopeful," which is out in Cinemas from October 17th 2024. His songs are sung by churches all across the world (How Great is Our God, 10,000 Reasons among others). He has worked with some of the biggest names in music, including Barbra Streisand, Idina Menzel, Andrea Bocelli, Delta Goodrem, Lauren Daigle, Snow Patrol and Celine Dion. Join Grace Buckman as we hear from Jonas about his childhood, his passion for music, career in the industry and involvement in The Hopeful. Made For You is available now.

Josh is from Voice of the Martyrs in the UK. I caught up with him In South Korea and he shared about his passion to support persecuted believers. He supports ministries in Asia in areas that are hostile to Christianity. Listen in to his story!

Dr Martin Nkundeki is a medical doctor in Kampala who, after serving as the Medical Director of Wentz Medical Center, answered the call to become an executive pastor at Gaba Community Church. In this Conversation he shares about there was Witchcraft that was strangling their region, and how the gospel has now transformed their community in every area of life! Matt caught up with Dr Martin in Uganda for this interview, listen in!

Maria Segerholm is an independent Christian singer/songwriter from Sweden who longs to spread hope and the love of Jesus through her music. Her music is soulful with influences from different genres such as pop, RnB, gospel, and country music. Stephen McKenna caught up with her recently, listen in to her story!

Roger Poupart is the Senior Pastor of Wayside Chapel in San Antonio Texas. Roger has previously served as a Dallas Police Officer. He's on the Board of Dallas Theological Seminary, and has a massive heart for Missions. Matt Prater caught up with Roger in Uganda as they were part of The Renewal Summit at Gaba Community Church. Listen in to his story!

Stephen Ssettimba is from African Renewal Ministries! Stephen is part of the team at Ggaba Community Church - Kampala, Uganda. Their ministry has planted over 1000 churches, trained over 2,700 leaders, and sponsored 15,000-plus children! They run medical clinics, a mobile Bible School and they are making a massive impact for the Gospel! Listen in to his story!

Jakki Civeriati is an Author and worship leader with a powerful story to tell! She has walked a road of discovery and learning, often through very challenging times. Some of her greatest learning moments have been through the experience of emotional abuse which has been prevalent in her life from her childhood and through her first marriage. Jakki has written a book, "Goodbye for Now or Goodbye Forever" about her experiences of emotional abuse and how she has overcome them, with the help of her Saviour, Jesus, in the hope it may help others who are experiencing the same behaviours in their life, within relationships they have. Listen in to her story!

(Little ears warning, might not be suitable for children.) Bonny Burns is a Christian woman from the US and is the founder of Strong Wives. The mission of Strong Wives is to help women overcome the devastating impact of sexual betrayal through growth into a woman who is powerful with determination, confident with discernment, and compassionate through the love of Christ through coaching and education. Bonny experienced heartbreak and sexual betrayal and her own marriage and she now works with and coaches women who have experienced the same. She's a credentialled partner coach and is coming to Australia in September to speak on problematic sexual behaviour and the traumatic impact it has on the partners. Bonny is also the host of two podcasts; Sex Chat for Christian Wives, and Hope for Wives.

Warren Mckenzie is a Pastor and a Hip-Hop Artist based at Reformation Baptist Church (formerly Biota Baptist Church). He has served as a youth leader, associate pastor, and youth outreach worker. Raised on hip-hop culture, he has served in ministries where music was used to teach the gospel in outreach. These days, his time is spent preaching and shepherding the flock of RBC. He loves teaching people the Scriptures and helping others grow in obedience to Christ. Warren and his wife, Bridget, have two children. Listen in to his story!

Mike McCarthy is a street evangelist based in Sydney who has seen thousands come to know Jesus. Known as "Mike with the mic" on YouTube, you will find Mike sharing the gospel with young men at Town Hall, groups of teenagers on their way to a night out, elderly couples walking by, whole families and anyone else who comes across his path. Mike has a passion for pointing people to Jesus, giving them hope and getting them filled with the Holy Spirit.    Join Grace Buckman in this interview as we speak with Mike and discuss his ministry and heart for the lost, his inspiring story about how he came to meet Jesus, and so much more.

Mike Headley is a man on a mission! He's been involved in Full Gospel Business Australia, an organisation dedicated to influencing the seven spheres of influence of the culture of Australia with the power of the Kingdom of God. He's also doing a pioneering missionary work in the Phillipines. Listen in to his story!

Clare Steele is the CEO of Compassion Australia. Following a successful business career, Clare has worked for over a decade in Christian ministry, focusing on strategic leadership that enables churches to better serve their communities. She studied Engineering in Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering at the University of Western Sydney as well as Master of Divinity through Sydney Missionary and Bible College. Listen in to her story!

Enoch Lavender was born in Australia, raised in Norway, spent time living in China and is now based in Melbourne, Australia. He has been studying Hebrew and the Jewish roots of our faith for the past decade, and has a keen interest in the Middle East from a Bible prophecy perspective. Enoch writes regular articles about current events as they relate to Bible Prophecy, and is a regular contributor to the Australian Newspaper Christians and Israel Today, as well as the international news web site Prophecy News Watch.  Enoch is an assistant pastor at Living Way Christian Network in Blackburn, Melbourne. Grace Buckman caught up with him recently, listen in to his story!

Pastor Murray Townsend has trained and equipped over 25 pastors and leaders in the Solomon Islands. He has also seen some amazing miracles and people being set free. Listen in to his story!

Dr. Karen Liddell is an ordained minister and Licensed Clinical Pastoral Counselor, advanced board certified in Integrated Marriage and Family Therapy, Child and Youth Therapy, Temperament Therapy, and Grief and Loss. Karen started her career as an adult and adolescent therapist in psych and  substance abuse centres and hospitals and after raising her family was called into faith-based counselling and neuroplasticity-focused methods. Karen developed the Brain Retrain™ method which is a simple, easy-to-follow process that gets your mind into agreement with who God says you are and what He says you can do. It results in physiological neurogenesis, renewing your mind's processes and resulting  emotions, actions, and experiences. Karen has also written multiple books and speaks at events across the country. Grace Buckman Spoke with her recently, listen in to her story!

Jack Harradine's calling and passion is ministering amongst, but not exclusive to, Indigenous people. He has a great desire to share the gospel in both word and deed. He's been with Bush Church Aid since 2017 where he previously served in Broken Hill. In 2023, he's commenced an evangelistic outreach role with the Aboriginal Berean Community Church in South Australia. Listen in to his story!

Maria Mason is a Pastor and Author from Byron Bay Australia. Alongside her Husband Phil, they Pastor "Tribe Church," a love-filled community that reveals the Heart of the Father. Maria brings much needed prophetic wisdom and breakthrough to change hearts and lead the Bride into the fullness of her calling to the world. Grace Buckman caught up with Maria for this interview, listen in!

Jack Barclay and Tom Mottershead are singer/songwriters from QLD Australia with a mission to speak God's kindness and comfort into weary and hurting hearts through gospel inspired music. Listen in to their story!

Kyal Cumming is the Pastor at Kingdom Church Gold Coast. Kyal has a heart to see the Jewish people to come to know that Jesus is Messiah and for the nations to be reached and discipled according to scripture in preparation for the return of Jesus. In this interview Kyal shares about his faith journey and his passion to share the good news of the gospel.

Nicola Rucci has been a pastor, leader and communicator for more than 3 decades and she is passionate about discipleship and helping people overcome barriers to personal growth. Together with her husband Gary, she leads Rivercity Family Church in Brisbane, Australia. Nicola and Gary have been serving in full-time Christian leadership for 30 years and during this time they served in a few of Australia's largest churches. Nicola recently published her new book Invisible Scars, which shares her heart-wrenching story of childhood sexual abuse, loss and grief. Her story will take you on a journey to healing inspired by her faith and will show you that you too can live in your freedom. Invisible Scars is available now for purchase on Amazon! Grace Buckman had a great chat with Nicola, listen in!

SVRCINA (SUR-SEE-NAH) is one of pop music's fastest rising stars. SVRCINA has surpassed over 120 million streams on Spotify, hit over 114K subscribers on YouTube, 13K+ followers on Instagram, secured a Top 3 spot on Billboard HOT CHR chart, GMA Song of the Year Nominee, #1 7 consecutive weeks on Australia's TCM charts, penned over 700 songs, and released several collaborations including Lecrae, Hulvey and Tauren Wells -- and she is truly JUST getting started. In this interview she shares about her faith journey, her love for Australia and the heart behind her music!

Ben Boland is an aged care chaplain who passionately promotes and resources the gospel for older people. He regularly writes and speaks about aged care ministry, including contributing to aged care spirituality publications. He is currently writing an MA project at Moore College about developing a theology of older people with specific reference to sexuality. In this interview he shares his testimony and his heart for chaplaincy.

Hannah Pettefer is a 26-year-old small business owner from Louisiana who recently published her first book, Open Hands. Hannah runs a specialty event planning business called Magical Moments that focuses on character parties and styled picnics. When Hannah isn't running parties and picnics, she's teaching ballet, running social media for her Father's two small businesses, or pursuing wonderful ministry opportunities like writing her first book. In Open Hands: A Journey to Trusting the Lord with Your Desires and Disappointments, Hannah shares personal tales of heartbreak and dreams, guiding readers from uncertainty to trust in God. It's not a book of quick fixes, but full of wisdom for embracing life's uncertainties with faith in God. Grace Buckman caught up with Hannah to find out her story, listen in!

Kimberley Linco has a diverse background in marketing, event management, public relations, and a Bachelor of Communications. She works with organisations like Open Doors and McCrindle Research and has an amazing testimony to tell! Listen in to her story!

Pastor Kiran Skariah also known as PastorSKAR online, is an ordained minister with a passion to see the next generation be all they can be. After gaining a decade of Youth Ministry experience at his local Church and serving full time as Associate Pastor there, Kiran realised the huge need for a safe, welcoming space for all in the online world, where honest faith conversations can spark and people can be themselves, ask questions and connect in a way that was previously unimaginable. With a goal to impact the world in mind, Kiran started livestreaming on the world's largest streaming platform, Twitch.tv and over weeks, months and years, dedicated himself to building a free, accepting, family-friendly community where gamers and non-gamers alike can gather and share a laugh, have some fun, and for those that were interested, talk about their faith. Today this Ministry is run very similarly to a local Youth Group, but is open for all and digitised to meet the demographic. This includes interactive games with the community, regular prayer time, a weekly message, and all the laughs and craziness you could imagine - and lives are being impacted all over the world!! Listen in to his Story!

Steve Kang is a former Buddhist turned evangelist and pastor following a drug related near death experience. He is featured in the movie, "After Death," which is a gripping film that explores the afterlife based on near-death experiences, conveyed by scientists, authors and survivors. Listen in to his story about his encounter with heaven and hell!

Dave Twigg is the outreach Pastor at Bridgeman Baptist Church in Brisbane. He was invited to Church as a teenager, and was so amazed! He even asked the guy who took him if it's really free to attend! He has a great heart to reach people with the good news of the gospel. Listen in to his story!

Amy Hayes is the mother of 8 children and grandmother to ten (and counting). Her writing career started when the Lord called her to mentor parents. Her first book, How I Raised 8 Amazing Kids in Spite of Myself, is a brief overview of her life raising her 8 children through the ups and downs, challenges and upheaval of 3 marriages and divorces. Her second book, Graceful Parenting, is specifically for Christian parents or anyone who wants to know what the Bible really says about parenting. Ms Hayes' passion is to equip Christian parents with kingdom keys to raise children who know and love God and fulfill their God-given destiny in the Body of Christ and on the Earth. Grace Buckman caught up with Amy to hear her story!

Katisha Adelaide is a Violinist, singer, looping artist and multi-instrumentalist from Townsville, Australia. She's toured in Australia, The Phillipines, Sweden, Kenya and Thailand. She's also partnered with YWAM and other ministries to reach the world with her music. Listen in to her story!

The Springmans are the Canadian equivalent of the Travelling Von Trapp family! Their first album, Happy Beach, was produced by, and co-written with, multi Grammy© and Dove Award winner Mark Heimermann. (dcTalk, Michael W. Smith, Newsboys)  Happy Beach won a number of awards including the Parents' Choice Award, NPPA Award, and the GMA Canada Covenant Award for "Children's Album Of The Year."  In this interview we hear about how Perry came to Christ after being raised in a Jewish Family, and we hear about their love for Australia!

Homer Hargrove is the Senior Pastor at Gravetop Church in San Antonio, Texas. He started with a broken life that was full of trauma, addiction and violence, and everything changed when he decided to tap into something greater than himself. He's started and developed ministries from the ground up and has made significant impacts within recovery centres, public schools, detention centres and other organizations. Grace Buckman caught up with Homer to hear his story!